COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - SORORITY BABES IN SLIME BOWL-A-RAMA 2 (FULL MOON BLU RAY)
Horror sequels have a lot stacked against them. For starters, they (used) to be reserved for budding franchises where the original did exceedingly well at the box office. So they will inherently be compared to what came before them, and in most cases, that meant the first one was pretty good. The sequel has to be “better”. What that means, most fans don’t really know, but it has to meet an expectation that no one can vocalize and uniquely individual. Horror sequels also have windows of opportunity. More often than not, that window is within a few years (2-5) of the first film before the general idea has lost some momentum. Of course, if the film is so financially successful, this timeline could change with a marginal impact on excitement, which is quite a rare feat in these hyper-informed times. And finally, a horror sequel has to carry on a narrative/aesthetic thread that audiences will associate with the first film and/or the franchise as a whole (e.g. hockey mask to Friday the 13th), but not so redundant of what has come before. So it has to be better, timely, and uniquely derivative (just not too much). That’s hard, but if we focus on just the time between the first, or even the previous film in the franchise we see an odd trend happen in horror; that window can move around if the people will watch it. Look at the “requel” business which has taken over the horror zeitgeist, it’s a way to sequel-ize in a way that hasn’t been possible until now because enough time has passed to make old, into “new”. This is why today’s film, SORORITY BABES IN SLIME BOWL-A-RAMA 2 (SBISBAR2 for short…I’m not typing that shit out every time), is a bit of an odd-duck coming from FULL MOON FEATURES. Is the label best known for C-level franchises reviving a future classic, or a mundane cult hit that hasn’t stayed too sharp?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The Pi-Ep sorority house has seen better days, but the girls intend to gain some new recruits. With housemother Auntie Snake as their guide, the naughty hi-jinks and hilarity begin. Meanwhile, the Bowl-O-Rama bowling alley has had a break-in and a breakout. With the escape of the magical and murderous Imp, it's a fight for survival, with only one mysterious girl holding the answers to the riddle of the Imp's wish.
HOW IS IT?
When I go into reviewing movies like SBISBAR2, I do so with the most open of minds. No expectations of what I’m going to see because there is, usually, no way of me knowing what the hell I even should expect of movies that are direct sequels to a film from over 40+ years ago most people a shade younger than me would’ve never seen/heard of. Then again, FULL MOON is no stranger to keeping franchises going for excessively long periods of time. All in all, I want the movie to be entertaining, interesting, and efficient. At 63 minutes, I thought efficiency would be a sure thing, as for the others, not so much.
SBISBAR2 has a story. It’s really very basic. In fact, the synopsis just a paragraph above this does a pretty good job summing things up and not really leaving much out. I say this because this “story” is just plain old lazy. I don’t really think anyone intended to make something bad here, rather, I think that this feels like something made for what could be the equivalent of FULL MOON’s couch-cushion change over a weekend that was being improvised 75% of the time. You can see it in almost every aspect of the film. From the lack of anything really interesting or special effects heavy happening until the very third, or the really cringe dialogue that at this point feels almost intentionally dense and silly. In this case, you actually have to give TROMA credit since they put a lot of effort into ensuring you know how ironic what you’re watching is/isn’t, but with this it just feels like it was written by AI with the prompts “80’s sex comedy with horror that is a sequel to SBISBAR” and went with that. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn’t bother me if everything else going on was pulling some extra weight. Not the case here at all.
To be fair to the cast, I’m sure they were directed to act the way they did so I don’t want to knock them for following directions. I mean let’s be real, it’s safe to say that most folks don’t consider this high-art or have that kind of lofty expectation. Really, what’s important is that what we see is fun! If it’s going to be silly, fine, own it and find ways to work that into horror and/or comedy. And don’t wait until the very end to actually get to the horror stuff, which in this case isn’t bad, but certainly not making up the time it takes to get there in a movie that is just a hair over an hour long. This shouldn’t feel as long as it is, and while I’m not sure who the audience for a sequel to Sorority Babes in Slime Bowl-A-Rama is, I’m sure they aren’t happy with this either. Or maybe they are? I have no idea.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Given this is a recent production, 2022, the overall look of the film is fine. The picture is clear and presented in widescreen HD 1080p and 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The big marks against the film’s quality are just how kinda cheap they look. FULL MOON may not be raking in the dough, but indies with smaller budgets and lesser access can find a way to take the “Cinemax sheen” off the digital film. Images from the film are used below and seen throughout the review:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Much like the visual specs, the sound here is nothing to write home about and is suitable for the film and the overall needs of the narrative. There are two audio track options, one 2.0 stereo mix, and another with 5.1 surround sound. I used the latter for my viewing and while I didn’t really notice much use of the rear channels, the audio was clear. A major strike against FULL MOON for still not putting English subtitles on their films.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
This release is as bare-bones as it gets. I didn’t watch any of the special features for this review, and you can see a list of what is included below:
Brinke vs. The Imp
Full Moon Features Trailers
LAST RITES
SORORITY BABES IN SLIME BOWL-A-RAMA 2 is a sequel that serves no purpose and seems to be made with the bare minimum of effort. While it’s unclear what a sequel to the original could or should be, it very much doesn’t feel much like a tribute or meaningful continuation of any of the original themes aside from some character homages and redundant storytelling.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! SORORITY BABES IN SLIME BOWL-A-RAMA 2 is available NOW, and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT or FULL MOON DIRECT!
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